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Why would the politicians of Niagara Falls (Canada) disapprove of this film at the time of its release when it depicted their city, especially the magnificent, natural wonder at its core, so favorably? Although I haven't visited the falls since 1951, just before this film was produced, whenever I see this very intriguing movie, I have an urge to return, but this time not as a two year old.
I disagree with the many mediocre and negative IMDb user reviews of this film, which stands tall as a great achievement by director Henry Hathaway, cinematographer Joe McDonald, and composer Sol Kaplan. Joseph Cotten's performance is nothing less than outstanding, and Jean Peters is excellent. The one very noticeable flaw is in the writing, including the insufficient story behind the character of George Loomis (Cotten). He is a Korean War combat veteran, but I would have appreciated more details about his war experience and how he developed his condition, which was apparently PTSD, a wartime malady that was not properly diagnosed at the time. For me, George Loomis represents one more disregarded Korean War veteran. Tragically, there were many others in real life.
Marilyn Monroe's very presence here is captivating. The scene of her singing the theme song "Kiss" in her magenta colored dress is so sublime that I will think of it very fondly for the rest of my days. The tune sounds very much like the Italian classic, "Ti Voglio Tanto Bene", but I'm not sure if it is the same song. And how many times did Hathaway have Marilyn walk away from the camera for prolonged periods? I counted at least four, but I'm not sure that I was thinking clearly enough as I watched. For a character who should not be very sympathetic, Rose Loomis made quite an impression on me. Imagine a time when your very life depended upon a lousy, public telephone, and you had to rummage frantically through your bag or pockets for change that you might not even have in the first place. Those silent, still bells in the carillon send a resounding message just at the right moment.
As in the case of another favorite film of mine, Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt", Joseph Cotten successfully plays a seriously disturbed character. This time, however, he doesn't attempt to conceal his deep, internal darkness from a very gullible and foolish world as he does in Hitchcock's film. His seemingly innocent conversation with Polly Cutler (Peters) at the beginning serves as a noteworthy premonition of events to follow. Another ominous and even more subtle warning comes when Rose's dark shadow interferes with the photo that Ray Cutler is attempting to take of his wife.
I'm sorry that more reviewers did not appreciate "Niagara" as the great film that I believe it is. The spectacular cinematography, especially of the iconic falls, the uniquely artistic and dramatic atmosphere created by the director, the spare but suspenseful score by Kaplan, the excellent performances of both Cotten and Peters, and the stunning beauty of Marilyn Monroe are very positive elements that have kept this movie on my list of favorites through many years. The "edgy" ending is not to be missed.
score 9/10
frankwiener 9 August 2017
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3776545/ |
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31-3-2021 00:05:14